


The Haunting Presence

by Cactus132



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 08:56:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10082441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cactus132/pseuds/Cactus132
Summary: Stan and Ford express their feelings, but Stan has been keeping something locked away from Ford and it’s starting to come into light.





	

Stanley was a quiet teenager, he would never talk to anyone no matter what in his day to day life. If he had to communicate with people which rarely happened he would primarily only give one word answers, things like hi, okay, and sure usually being the traditional things that would leave his mouth. The only person that was able to get more of a response from him was his twin brother Stanford. While Ford was able to talk with his brother he still had no clue as to why his brother became practically a mute. 

It all started a couple of years ago back when they were still fairly young. He couldn’t remember the exact age, but he recalls it either being when they were either twelve or eleven. Stan had always been a free spirit, relatively un filtered, and would talk with absolutely no end. Then all of a sudden he went silent, refusing to talk more than he needed too, and he did this to Ford for some time as well. It wasn’t until he pushed his brother was he able to get Stan to talk with him, but even then he still never delved much into his personal self only wanting to listening to the woes of his brothers life. He would for the most part be a ear for Ford to talk to and would provide reassurance for Stanford. 

Neither of their lives where easy not even close. Neither of them ever got to meet their mother as she died after giving birth to the two twins, and their father was a relatively cold man only taking care of the twins through high school. He never showed any love or affection for the brothers, the closest Ford ever got to having his father being proud of him was when he got a full ride scholarship to West Coast Tech for his perpetual motion machine. Stan at least from what Ford could tell had never received any form of affection from his father, not when he was boxing, especially not when he gave up boxing, and not when he won an award at school for one of his paintings. 

It seemed that no matter what his brother did he could never impress the gruff pawnshop owner, he had always been the hardest on his brother. Stan would always take majority of the wrath of his beatings, sometimes getting so intense he would force Ford to leave him alone with Stan, but now they were soon close to graduating and then they would be free to leave. 

Ford had been planning out their post high school plan together, they would leave their house and head straight over to California. While he hadn’t told his brother about the plan that he was making, he was more than confident his brother would want to leave with him out of the cesspool of a town they had been living in the past eighteen years. Afterall his brother didn’t seem to have very many options, he didn’t apply for any colleges even though Ford did think he should have considering he wasn’t dumb at all. He was able to pull a 3.0 in his high school career sure he wouldn’t have made it into West Coast Tech, but he could’ve made it into a nice school somewhere, after all he wanted the best for his brother he did care and love his brother.

The thought of love brought into another hot thought into Ford's mind, he loved his brother. Not just in the brotherly fashion that most people would assume, but in a much more taboo way and this was another thing that plagued his mind that he wanted to tell his brother. He thought it funny falling in love with someone so quiet and gruff, but Stan had been the only constant in his life. He was always the one person he could open up to and tell him whatever was on his mind, was always the stable shoulder he had to cry on if he had to, and Stan was always there with his warm embrace always there to comfort him. 

It was a warm Sunday night, and Ford was laying in the bottom bunk of their bed. Daydreaming about the plans for the future and how he could maybe tell Stan about his true feelings he had for him. The bottom bunk was Stans so he was able to look at the various sketches his brother had drawn and tacked to his wall, it was one of them in particular that drew his attention tonight. It was a drawing of a man from the chest up, he was wearing a suit from what Ford could tell, but that wasn’t what drew his attention to the photo. It was on the man's head he wore a black bag, there were no eye holes nothing for him to see from. Just the bag obscuring the mystery man's face from view, the picture confused Ford as there were no other sketches like it and nothing else on the sheet that could maybe help him understand the picture, just the faceless man with a black bag over his head. 

As he is examining the sketch he hears the sound of the bedroom door opening, he quickly rolls over to look at who is entering their room. He is greeted to the sight of his brother wearing a white long sleeve, black jeans and some ratty old tennis shoes, it was more than a familiar sight to Ford. 

“Hey Stan,” Ford greeted as his brother isn’t even half way through the door. 

“Oh, ah hey,” his brother replies quietly, “shouldn’t you be in bed or something it’s uh kinda late right?”

Ford looks at the clock and it’s only a little past midnight. “I was waiting up for you, and besides we’re graduating next Friday. I think we can skip first period tomorrow if we need the sleep,” Ford says while moving to sit on the edge of the bed revealing to Stanley he is wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers with no shirt. “Besides what were you up to so late?”

“Hmm, Nothing” 

“Right it’s always nothing with you,” Ford says as his brother slips off his jeans and shoes but leaves his shirt on and falls onto the bed beside Ford on his back. 

“Are you okay Stanley? 

“I’m fine,” Stanley supplies gruffly 

“You don’t seem it, you know you can talk to me about anything that’s on your mind right?” He says while placing a six fingered hand onto his heart. “After all I owe it to you after all the times you listen to my bullshit.” 

“I ain’t got nothing to say, and don’t call what you talk about with me bullshit. I like listening to you talk,” Stan rolls his head over to meet his brother's gaze. Ford gives his brother a warm smile once their gazes meet, he begins rubbing his hand up and down on his chest when an idea pops into his head. He sits back up and goes over to the sketch on his brothers wall and brings is back over to his brother who is now sitting back up but in the middle of the bed. 

“I was looking at this sketch you did and was wondering what it may be meant?” 

Stan grabs the drawing out of his brothers hand and looks it over giving a hum while he looks it over. “Yeah umm, it’s a sketch I did a while back. What I was trying to got for was to draw a man who grew tired of the terrors he faced on a daily basis, and instead of having to look at them again he covers his head with a black bag. This way he won’t have to look at what is haunting him,” Stan hands the sketch back to his brother.

Ford looks at the image hard and tries to understand why his brother chose to draw something like this, but his mind is coming up a blank. He thinks he could maybe ask his brother what inspired the drawing but he quickly dismisses that thought, as his brother has never shared his inspiration for his art pieces. “Well, it’s ah very interesting Stan.” 

“You know you don’t have to act like you like it right?” Stan says with a light chuckle. 

“N-no, I do I do. It’s just a little dark i guess…” 

“Yeah well,” Stan says and then they both catch each other's eyes, but this time Ford feels something inside of him pulling him towards him. He is in an instant wrapping his arms around his brother's waist, and at first his brother goes very stiff at the hug but then soon is returning the hug to Ford. 

They hug for sometime with one another, just letting each others heat pass between the two of them. Soon enough though Ford and Stan both raise their heads to look at each other while continuing the hug. Ford feels something else in him tug while he looks into his brothers brown eyes and then down to his plump lips, he begins gravitating towards his brothers lips and soon enough his lips are on his. His brother goes tense again but soon enough relaxes and is gently returning the kiss, but as quickly as the kiss started it ends. 

Once Ford pulls away from his brother he looks up, and what he sees makes his heart fall into the pit that is his stomach. Ford sees frightened eyes looking back at him not just any eyes Stans eyes, and once looking at his eyes he looks back at his lips, the lips he just felt were quivering. He could tell his brother is on the edge of bursting into tears and Ford is beating himself up on the inside, of course he misread what his brother wanted. He has now ruined or at least severely damaged their relationship, and if his brother hates him now he knows that will kill something inside of him. He can’t have his brother hate him, he cannot! 

Ford is quickly opening his mouth again to try and cover his ground to try and fix his mistake that he clearly just made. “Stan I’m so sor-” and in an instant Ford is cut off my the powerful force that is his brother crumpling into him in a powerful hug. 

Stan is now sobbing loudly into his brother chest, tears streaming out of his eyes like a faucet wettening his brothers chest, “Yo y-y-you’re the only one who cares!” Stan sobs more then shouts out into his brother now damp chest. Ford doesn't fully understand what is brother means by that but he doesn't care right now, Stan is hurting and he needs his comfort. 

Ford begins to slowly rub Stans clothed back shushing and trying his best to calm his brothers emotional outburst. Ford is able to position them so Ford is laying on the pillows by the headboard and Stan is still on top of him weeping into his chest. “Shh Shh, Stan it’s okay I’m here Shh,” Ford whispered to his brother while he lightly pressed warm kisses into the thick hair on his head. Ford was shocked at his brother's outburst he hadn’t seen his brother cry since they were very very young, he wanted to know what was running through Stan’s head but he was by no means going to push it out of him not tonight, and he didn’t know if he would ever be willing to do so. He did however want to know what was causing his brother such heartache so he could try to help him move past it, he just hopped it was something he would be able to help him with. 

For a long time Stan cried and Ford held him as Stan had countless times, Ford held Stan even after the crying had faded away and was just sniffling now into his brother's chest. They sat in silence for awhile longer and Ford thought that they would fall asleep like this which he was okay with until he felt his brother shift in his grasp. 

“I-I’m sorry Ford I uh don’t know what came over me…” Stan choked out moving to his brothers side still having his arms wrapped around him. 

“You don’t have to apologize Stanley not ever.” 

There is another short silence between him and Stan, and all he can hear is Stan’s breathing, “Thanks…” 

Ford grows a soft smile and lays down face to face with his brother placing a gentle kiss on his lips. “Of course, you umm want to talk about whatever it is,” Ford says this and there is another silence and Ford just watches his brothers face in the dim lighting. 

“No,” Stan finally replies 

“Okay, then let's try and get some sleep then,” Ford kisses Stan on the forehead and turns to turn off the bedside lamp off. Once they are in the comfortable darkness Stan stuffs his face back into Ford's bare chest again taking in his scent and heat, covering his eyes from the terrors that haunts him. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bedroom door swung open. Stanley was sitting in the living room watching as the world moved in slow motion, he could feel the tears that were on his face evaporate in an instant as the quiet sobbing stopped. The subtle taste of salt hung on his breath and he felt like gagging from the flavor. 

Once the bedroom door was opened light from the room clung to the walls in front of it, and after some time a man walked backwards out of the room in slow motion. He was a tall impending figure with thinning brown hair, and sweat beading where it began to recede. He was wearing black sunglasses shrouding his eyes from Stan and this sent a shiver down his spine, but in an instant the mans familiar face came back to him, it was his father. 

His face contorted as he was moving backwards still, but eventually he evened out standing in the hallway and just stared. He was wearing a wife beater that was stained with sweat from his neck down to his chest then back up to his neck again. He was wearing black slacks with the belt undone and the top button popped out of place but the zipper was up. His father's face was nothing but pure destain as he looked at his son, there were no words or sounds. Stan couldn’t even hear the usual white noise that filled their home when there was no one talking, just silence that hurt his ears.

After so long being frozen in time his father opened his mouth, but nothing came out of his mouth just opened and the face his father was making terrified Stanley. Eventually sound rushed back tearing into Stan’s eardrums, as his father shouted “get the fuck out of my face faggot!” 

Stan woke up with a gasp, he was completely covered in sweat and when he jolted awake he could feel a weight across his chest he looked to his left to see his still a sleep brother cuddled next to him. Stan layed back down into their bed and took in a few shaky breaths, there was no way he was going to be falling back to sleep, he was just thankful he didn’t wake his brother in his outburst. He didn’t want to have to tell him he had a nightmare especially not after what happened Sunday night, he couldn’t let his brother know what was kept locked up deep inside of him no matter what. 

Stan rolled onto his side and just looked at his brother as he let out light tufts of air in his sleep, how did he get so lucky? Him and Ford had only just recently confessed their true love for each other, five days to be exact, and it was by far the best five days he’s had in a long time. While it started out a little rough with his breakdown after their first kiss he could no handle himself when Ford showed him such soft and tender affection. 

They had been so caring for one another the past couple of days, kissing and cuddling each other to sleep, it had been everything Stan has been desperate for in a relationship. Yet Stan knew that his brother was still fishing for answers about his meltdown he had when they first kissed, and Stan was determined to not allow that to happen. He knew that it would emotionally destroy Ford to know about what has been truly been going on in their home, but he only had to keep it a secret for a little while longer once they graduate Ford will go to California going to school and will be far away from the little piece of hell that is Stan's life. 

What does Stan have planned for himself after Ford leaves? He’s not entirely sure himself, he’ll either leave their home and try to make something out of himself or he’ll slip away knowing that his brother is from his father and he did his job. All these thoughts leave his stomach in knots today, while they used to bring him comfort after these past five days they make him feel uneasy. He doesn't want to give up Ford he wants to live with him and be with him, but he knows that this isn’t an option he would in the long run just be weighing his brother down and he would never want to be at fault if his brother failed, there is no way he would be able to live through that. 

Stan just lays there for a couple hours thinking and watching his brother sleep, it’s Friday so they have school in a little while, but he just wants to spend the day looking at his brother lay so peacefully in their bed. After a little bit however Ford begins to stir and soon enough he is opening his eyes to Stanley’s, “Mornin,” Stan says to Ford as he yawns. 

“Hmm, how-how long have you been up?” 

“Oh, not long just a couple of minutes,” Stan lies.

“mmm , what time is it?”

“6:15” 

“Hmm, we should probably get up and get ready for school.”

“Yeah” 

The brothers don’t get up right away they lay there for a few minute more just taking in each others presence, but after some time Ford get up and begins getting ready for the day. He wears a light blue shirt tucked into a pair of khakis with his hair in it’s usual puffy mess, while Stan wears a white t-shirt, black jeans, and his hair slicked back smoothly. 

After having a little breakfast the brothers begin their walk to the school. It’s a warm summer's morning, the sun is just rising on the horizon and the sky is a perfect collections of pinks, blues, and oranges. While the brothers are walking they hold one another's hands but separate once a person walks by them, they talk about what the day holds for them. As per usual thee closer they get to the school the quieter Stanley gets and eventually he’s giving very brief answers to what Ford asks him. 

The brothers have a majority of their classes with one another. Stan starts his day off in art without Ford, but eventually they are back together for the the next two classes with one another. They don’t have fourth with one another as Ford is in a much higher level math class than Stan, but they spend their lunch together while they eat in their usual spot under the bleachers on the field, this is also the spot they meet after school has ended considering they don’t have sixth period with each other so it makes for a great place to meet. 

At the end of the day Ford is waiting under the bleachers, the sun beaming through the seats creating rows of dark shade and vertical beams of light. Stan usually would take a little while as his sixth period class was on the other side of the school, so Ford would just have to wait patiently for his brother to come to their usual spot. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the six fingered fuck,” the sound of a familiar voice made Fords skin crawl. He turned around to look at the person who was talking to him, and sure enough it was who he thought it was his childhood bully Crampelter. 

“What the hell do you want Crampelter?” Ford said putting his arms over his chest while Crampelter got up closer him. 

“What think you’re too good for me know that you're going to some expensive college huh?” Crampelter was getting into Ford's personal space and Ford started to shift on his feet uncomfortably.

“I've always been to good for you, you are just now starting to realize it,” Ford retorts but he is quickly getting pushed against a beam of the bleachers, and both of Crampelter’s arms holding him there.

“Oh you’ve got it all wrong there freak,” Crampelter pulls out a switchblade and rubs it along Fords cheek. Ford's eyes go wide at the site of the blade and sweat begins to drip down his face, where the fuck are you Stan? “I think I need to show you just how wrong you are.” 

He runs the Knife along his cheek drawing some blood from it, Ford closes his eyes as the pain begins to hit him, but once he does the weight on his chest and blade on his cheek are gone. He hears a growl and the yelp of Crampelter, he opens his eyes to see Stan pumuling Crampelters face. Blood is rushing down his nose and Stan keeps hitting him again and again, eventually Ford knows that he’s had enough and begins to pull at his brothers shoulders to get him off. 

“Stan he’s had enough!” Ford yells. 

“I’ll fucking decide when this bastards had enough!” Stan keeps hitting his face, and Ford gets scared that he’s going to kill him he starts pulling hard now at his shirt. 

“Stan! Please stop!” Hearing Ford pleading with him he stops his punching. Crampelter is a bloody mess but surprisingly still conscious. He’s throwing slurred and unintelligible slurs at both Ford and Stan, but they both just ignore him while Stan stands up and dusts himself off. He forces Crampelter up and shoves him away from him and his brother. 

“Get the fuck outta here!” Stan barks. 

“You fucking psycho, fuck you and your freak brother!” 

“Oh yeah, you come near me or my brother one more time, imma shoving a fucking pencil through your goddamn temple! You got that!” Stan shouts at as Crampelter fleas away from Stan. 

Stan turns to his brother and wipes to little bit of blood that is still on his cheek away, “you holding up okay?” 

“Y-yeah I’m fine, I just wish you didn’t almost kill a guy!” 

“Yeah, sorry I got a little carried away there…” Stan says looking at his now bloody and bruised knuckles, “At lease after next week when we graduate, you won’t have to deal with assholes like that anymore.” 

Ford frowns at hearing about them graduating next week, he still hasn’t even asked his brother to come with him to California. Hell he doesn't even know what his brother has planned for after high school, thinking about all this makes Ford feel weak kneed so he slides down one of the beams and sits on the ground. “Stan can I ask you something?” 

“Sure”

“What uh, what do you have planned for after you graduate?” 

There is a long moment of silence between the so of them, and all that can be hear is Stan’s heavy breathing. “I haven’t really thought about it, I’m sure I’ll figure it out though.” 

That was the response Ford was afraid of, “you need to have something planned Stan. You can’t just go into the world with nothing.” 

Stan let out a little chuckle at his brother, “it’s not like it matters for me though, after all I’m not good for nothing,” Stan says while kicking at the grounding and looking down. 

Ford frowned at his brother, “of course you’re good for something. You’re an amazing artist you could do something with that if you wanted too.” 

“Do you know how many people want to be an artists? My chances of making a living from that are slim to none. I’m sorry Ford, but just face it I’m a goddamn bum.” 

Ford stood up at his hearing his brother tear into himself, “no you’re not! Maybe you won’t find a job in art, but you can still find a path somewhere else!” 

Stan was starting to get angry at his brother's stubbornness, why couldn’t he just understand he was a good for nothing! “God sixer why can’t you just understand this, I’m a useless nobody. I know this, the school knows this, you’re the only person that doesn't get it. Hell our dad tells me all the time as he only sees me for a quick fu-” Stan cuts him off immediately and hopes that Ford didn’t catch the last part. 

Ford goes fully tense, his eyebrows rise, and his eyes go fully wide, “Out father sees you as what Stanley?” 

Fuck why did he have to let that slip, “nothing just forget I said anything.” 

Ford moved into Stan's personal space and what looking him dead in the eyes. “No Stan this isn’t going to be something you brush off, you’re going to talk to me what does he do!” 

Stan wasn’t talking and he didn’t plan on it, because he knew if he did he was going to tell his brother what has haunted him. Ford on the other hand wasn’t having any of his silence, he cupped his brothers face in his hands and pierced into his eyes further. “Stan please you have to tell me, what does he do to you?” 

Tears began to prick at the edges of Stans eyes and they sparkled in the sunlight, “he only see’s me for a quick fuck alright!” Once the words leave his mouth Stan pulls away from Ford and the tears start to fall, “is that what you wanted to hear?!?” Stan sobs out and falls in on himself on the ground. 

Ford was frozen in place as he watched his brother weep on the ground in front of him, his mouth was agape and was in complete shock at what his brother just told him. His father has been using his own brother for sex, he couldn’t believe it but yet it all made sense. That's why his father would tell him to leave him with his brother alone, why Stanley told him he was the only one who cared, and why Stanley suddenly went so quiet. How long has his father been doing this to him? 

Ford crouched down and wrapped his arms around his brother and rubbed his back to try and comfort him, but his sobbing was still coming out strongly. “Stan I’m so sorry, how how long has he been doing this to you?” 

Stan doesn't respond right away, he just continues to cry but eventually he’s able to speak. “S-since we were eleven.” It all comes rushing back to Ford, that's the exact time that he can remember when his brother went quite. He wishes he would know the exact day so he could know when exactly it started, but he doesn't and he’s furious at himself for never being observant enough to notice when his brother changed. If had noticed maybe he could have found out quicker why, and then maybe he could have helped Stan protected him as he’s done for him for years. 

They sit there for some time, Ford holding Stan while he sobs, but eventually the sobs break down into sniffles and then into silence. “Why did you never tell me?” Ford asks his brother  
.   
Stan swallows thickly and thinks over the question, “I didn’t want you to know, and he always told me that if I told you he would start doing it to you. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he did that to you and I could have prevented it.” 

Fords heart ached at his brothers words, even when he was being put through hell he did it to protect him. Looking at his brothers crumpled figure and tear streaked face he no longer saw a impenetrable protection, he saw his brother and he was hurt and it was no his time to protect him. He knew not what he needed to do to keep him safe, “Stan when I go to California after we graduate you’re coming with me.” It wasn’t a question or a request it was a demand, he wouldn’t leave his brother behind not now not ever. 

Stan sniffled and he wasn’t sure what to say to his brother, “I-I can’t i do don’t want to hold you down.” 

Ford tightened his hold on his brother and kissed his cheek to comfort him, “Don’t be ridiculous Stan, you have never held me down and you never will.” 

Stans heart began to swell up at his brothers tender words to him. They made him feel so loved that fresh tears almost fell, but he was able to hold them in, “Are uh are you sure?” 

Ford grew a soft grin, “Sure I’m sure, I wouldn’t dream of leaving you here without me.” 

“Why are you so good to me Stanford?”

Ford chuckled lightly, “I think I should be asking you the same thing.” 

The both chuckled with each other sitting in the hot summer sun under the bleachers, neither of them wanting to head home to quickly. The sun that was beaming through gaps in the seats was striking and heating the two brothers in its grasp, the light illuminated the two brothers face to whatever horrors they had that lied in front of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, will be posting more to come! 
> 
> Checkout my Tumblr where I will try to post there as well! 
> 
> http://cactus13200.tumblr.com/


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